As a contractor, you’ve likely had this experience: you deliver a job estimate to a client, they accept, and you get to work. Everything goes smoothly—until halfway through the project when the client says, “Wait, I thought this included the backsplash,” or “I assumed cleanup was part of the price.”
Suddenly, what you thought was a straightforward project turns into a debate about expectations. The client feels misled, you feel frustrated, and worst of all, your profit margin starts to shrink.
The root problem? The estimate wasn’t clear enough.
In construction, your estimate is more than just a number—it’s a roadmap. It tells your client what’s included, what’s not, and sets the financial foundation for your project. A vague or rushed estimate leads to misunderstandings, disputes, and, most importantly, lost profits.
As construction bookkeeping specialists, we’ve seen time and again that contractors who take the time to create precise, detailed estimates consistently run more profitable jobs. Let’s break down why your bids should spell everything out, and how doing so protects your bottom line.
